What is Canadian Culture



What is Canadian Culture? – The Globe And Mail



“Canadian culture doesn't exist.”

“Are you sure?” I asked in disbelief, uncertain whether the old Bell payphone was finally on its last legs.

“Of course,” came the cool reply of Shelley Hipwell, a Kingston-based graphic designer of Scottish descent. “Canadian culture is regional, there's Québécois culture, Prairie culture, Newfie culture and all of the new cultures that arrive here. But a single Canadian culture? Doesn't exist.”

Really? There has to be some sort of some Canadian culture. That was the whole point of the interview!

I had decided to talk to different Canadians of different back grounds about how they viewed Canadian culture. Unfortunately even proof of its existence seemed impossible!

“You see” she continued, “unless you're First Nations, you're an immigrant. You're Scottish, Polish, Indian, African. There is no such thing as a Canadian, only the multitude of cultures that exist here. That's what Canadian culture really is.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Canadian Culture still lived, well sort of. I thanked her for her time, and headed off to continue my search to find the elusive idea of what a Canadian really was.

As I prepared for my next interview I thought about what Shelley had said. I was starting to have doubts. How can a nation of immigrants really have a culture? How can a people comprised of countless ethnic groups from all four corners of the globe, each with their own distinct heritage, be brought together under one “culture.” It doesn't seem possible. Yet to have a “Canadian” culture you would have to do exactly that. Maybe Shelley's right. Maybe there is no definite culture.

But that whole idea of “regional” culture. I don't think anyone would argue against the existence of a Newfoundland culture, or an Albertan culture, or, most famous of them all, a Québécois culture. Sounds like a question for my next interviewee.

Gisele Beaulieu's family has lived in Quebec since the 1600s. She was born in Québec City and lived there for a good part of her life. I asked her what she thought of the idea of regional culture.

“It exists! A Québécois is very different from someone living in Ontario or British Colombia. It's not just language, it's the idea of French culture, of a European culture. It's different.”

“So is that all Canadian culture really is?” I asked, once again struggling to believe that that it could be so simple. “Just a mishmash of different cultures of different regions?”

“No of course not!” she cried, amused by the suggestion. “Maybe that's how it used to be, but we are different now. We've had so many new cultures immigrate here over the years. We are multicultural now. Regional cultures still exist but now we have different people living here too, with their own heritages. But it is the effect that regional cultures have had that let new cultures know they can still stay true to their heritage. They see people who are Québécois but who are also Canadian and they know they can keep their own culture as well. They can be Chinese for example and still be Canadian. Canadians are accepting people and we allow new cultures. Canadian culture is Multi-Cultural.”

Multi-Cultural. It's probably the second most used word to describe Canadian Culture after hockey. We often like to describe Canadian culture that way. A mosaic of people from all backgrounds making up our society. I wondered to what extent this was true. How much is Canadian Culture really shaped by those who immigrate here.

That leads me to my final person.

Judy Klippenstein emigrated from China 1991 to be with her husband Ken. I decided to get her still fresh perspective on what Canadian Culture is.

“Its different,” she laughed. “Very different from Chinese culture. For example it's very quiet. You go to a public place. Everyone's quiet; going about their own business. In China everyone would be talking, arguing, and greeting each other. Here everyone's much more reserved. Polite but reserved. It's very different. I have good friends in Canada, but not like in China. In China your friends will do anything for you, they are like your family. Canada is much more reserved. It's just different cultures.”

Cultures! I couldn't believe it. Finally someone actually mentions the existence of a Canadian culture! “Different cultures you say,” I asked trying to contain my excitement. “So you believe an actual Canadian culture exists.”

“Of course. Just look how different people are in Canada than in China. The way they act, how they dress, their interests. It's different, it's unique.”

“What about the idea of multi-culture?”

“That as well. Canadians are very accepting people, very polite, very honest. It's part of their culture. That's why they accept new people. They are also more interested in other cultures these days. People like to try different foods, different ways of dress. They want to see the world and learn about new cultures. Not only do Canadians accept people into their country and their society, they accept aspects of other cultures into their own. Canadian society is composed of many different cultures, sharing their culture with each other. Canada is definitely multi-cultural. It's also Canadian.”

So that's Canadian culture; it doesn't exist, it's regional, and it's multicultural or any combination of the three. In many ways it's all of those things. It is a complex culture, shaped by all the cultures that form it. Maybe it's this complexity that causes it to defy definition. Or maybe its complexity is its definition. Canadian culture means a different thing to everyone. Maybe that's what it truly is; it's whatever you see it to be

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